After hearing CALLANN’s reputation in the market, Blackrock Construction Group approached us for support to enter public procurement for the first time. Like many SMEs, they wanted to understand what “good” looks like in bidding, what the real barriers are, and how to become bid-ready without wasting time on opportunities that were not the right fit.
Claire met the team in person and spent time walking through the procurement process in a practical, straight-talking way, explaining the benefits, the challenges, and the steps Blackrock would need to take to be credible and compliant. That early input helped Blackrock make informed decisions and set realistic expectations, rather than learning through costly trial and error.
Following CALLANN’s advice, Blackrock worked internally to strengthen processes and achieve ISO 9001. In parallel, we supported their readiness by creating bespoke, high-quality case studies that showcased key projects in a way that procurement evaluators can understand and score. This ensured that when the right opportunities arrived, Blackrock had the evidence and narrative to back up their capability.
When the time was right, Blackrock joined CALLANN’s portal management and bid or no-bid retained service. This removed the stress and uncertainty of monitoring multiple procurement portals and interpreting opportunities without support. CALLANN now reviews tender opportunities on Blackrock’s behalf, completes an initial assessment, and provides a clear summary of the key information needed to decide whether to proceed. This includes the specific tender requirements, likely pass or fail issues, resource considerations, and our market insight on what the buyer is really looking for.
The retained approach means Blackrock can focus on running the business while staying confident that opportunities will not be missed, and that the bids they pursue are aligned to their strengths, capacity, and growth plans. CALLANN effectively operates as an extension of their team, helping them move into procurement in a controlled, sustainable way.
What we valued most was the straight-talking guidance and the structure CALLANN brought from day one. They helped us understand the procurement process, strengthen our readiness, and present our experience in a way evaluators can follow and score. With portal monitoring and bid reviews handled, we can focus on running the business, knowing we are pursuing opportunities that fit our capacity and growth plans. Ian Osborne, Director, Blackrock Construction Group
